With the aim of attracting companies from El Salvador, the two operators of the Atlantic ports in Honduras and Guatemala are working on modernizing their infrastructure.

Representatives from the Central American Port Operator (OPC by its initials in Spanish) of Puerto Cortés, in Honduras, explained that due to inefficient processes and high costs, they have lost a lot of cargo from El Salvador in recent years.

As a step prior to the implementation of specific retaliation measures, the government has published a list of 20 countries whose discriminatory actions have affected Panama's economic and commercial interests.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that " ...The Ministries of Economy and Finance, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Industry of the Republic of Panama issued an initial list of 20 jurisdictions in Latin America, Europe and Asia that apply discriminatory or restrictive measures to the Republic of Panama"

The US government's decision to set a 10% tariff on aluminum imports could have little impact on Central America, which in 2016 exported to the US $25 million worth of this metal.

The possible "trade war" that some US trade partners have warned about and which could be realised with the measure taken by the Trump administration, will be viewed from a distance in Central America.

As part of a pilot plan in Nicaragua eight companies have started using the Foreign Trade Single Window system, a platform that allows pre-customs procedures to be carried out.

The window that is expected to start operating in the middle of the year will allow for procedures to obtain permits and documents needed to export or import to be done online, including payments in banks and institutions via an online platform.

Three weeks ahead of the ballotage in Costa Rica, exporters are demanding more flexibility from the candidates, modernization of the port of Caldera and better security controls at ports and on roads.

One of the issues that has most affected the flow of international trade in Costa Rica in recent years has been the security of exports and how these have been damaged by theft and constant interception of containers.This is one of the issues which exporters are demanding more attention be paid to by the government that will take office on May 1.

In 2017, sales abroad totaled $2.548 billion, 15% more than in 2016, and the increase was explained by exports of agricultural, fishery and manufactured products.

The Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN) reported that "...At the end of 2017, the merchandise trade deficit registered a decrease of 3.5 percent, totaling 3,113.1 million dollars, which represents a fall of 114.5 million dollars in relation to the deficit generated in 2016."

A group of entrepreneurs from the Asian nation will be visiting Nicaragua to buy coffee and cocoa, and also explore new opportunities with local companies in the meat industry.

The delegation consists of 14 businesspeople interested in buying mainly coffee and cocoa.According to the Taiwanese ambassador in Nicaragua, Jaime Wu, most of them will be visiting the country for the first time.

Following the trend seen since last year, in January 2018 in car sales in Panama sale registered 3,997 units, 1% less than was reported in the same month in 2017.

<span dir="ltr">Figures from the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic show that in January 2018, 1,552 new vehicles were registered, 10% less than the 1,716 units registered in the same month in 2017.

In Costa Rica, an action of unconstitutionality filed almost three years ago is preventing the construction of a customs post on the border with Nicaragua, which would allow cargo transportation to be spared a distance of 160 kilometers.

Although the government has the $12 million needed for the final construction of the border post, where a temporary container has operated since 2013, the unconstitutionality action filed by the environmentalist Alvaro Sagot, is preventing the project from progressing.

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